Invictus Records
Encyclopedia
Invictus Records was an American
record label
based in Detroit, Michigan
created by Edward Holland, Jr.
, Lamont Dozier
and Brian Holland
(known collectively as Holland–Dozier–Holland). It was the sister label to the Buddah
-distributed Hot Wax Records
, which was also owned by Holland-Dozier-Holland.
and production
team for Motown Records
, but for better control and greater rewards they launched Invictus Records along with Hot Wax Records
in 1968. Their most successful acts were Freda Payne
and Chairmen of the Board; they also released Parliament
's first album, Osmium
. The label was distributed by Capitol Records
from 1969 to 1972, and then by Columbia Records
from 1973 onward.
In September 1970, the British
music magazine, NME
, reported that Invictus had the UK's
top two singles
. Freda Payne's "Band of Gold
" was #1, while Chairmen of the Board's "Give Me Just a Little More Time
" was at #2 in the UK Singles Chart
.
On leaving Motown, H-D-H were subject to a legal challenge by Berry Gordy
and, as a result, they were temporarily unable to issue new compositions on their labels. Consequently the names Holland-Dozier-Holland were not used until 1970 (releases were initially credited to (Ronald) Dunbar and (Edythe) Wayne).
The Invictus label was light blue with black printing. A statue of a seated man (Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker
") almost covers the entire label, with "INVICTUS" in dark blue at the top and to the left of the center hole. There are a group of black and white rays coming from the eye of the statue and extending downward to the right.
In 1973, when Hot Wax folded due to cash flow
problems, Dozier left to forge a solo career & the Holland brothers moved their remaining artists to Invictus label. Invictus continued to operate on a reduced level until 1977, when it too folded & was remodeled to HDH Records.
Dozier and the Holland brothers still own the catalogue which is managed by HDH Records.
All singles from 1251 to 1283 were distributed by Columbia/CBS Records
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
based in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
created by Edward Holland, Jr.
Edward Holland, Jr.
Edward Holland, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter and record producer....
, Lamont Dozier
Lamont Dozier
Lamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
and Brian Holland
Brian Holland
Brian Holland is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland. That songwriting and production team that was responsible for much of the Motown sound and numerous hit records by artists such as Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, The Four Tops,...
(known collectively as Holland–Dozier–Holland). It was the sister label to the Buddah
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
-distributed Hot Wax Records
Hot Wax Records
Hot Wax Records was a Detroit, Michigan-based record label, created by producers/songwriters Holland–Dozier–Holland in 1968 when they left Motown...
, which was also owned by Holland-Dozier-Holland.
History
Until 1967 Holland-Dozier-Holland (H-D-H) were a top songwritingSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
team for Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
, but for better control and greater rewards they launched Invictus Records along with Hot Wax Records
Hot Wax Records
Hot Wax Records was a Detroit, Michigan-based record label, created by producers/songwriters Holland–Dozier–Holland in 1968 when they left Motown...
in 1968. Their most successful acts were Freda Payne
Freda Payne
Freda Charcilia Payne Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944. is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She was also an actress in...
and Chairmen of the Board; they also released Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
's first album, Osmium
Osmium (album)
Osmium is the debut album of American funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton. The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums. It was originally released in July 1970 on Invictus...
. The label was distributed by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
from 1969 to 1972, and then by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
from 1973 onward.
In September 1970, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
music magazine, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, reported that Invictus had the UK's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
top two singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. Freda Payne's "Band of Gold
Band Of Gold (Freda Payne song)
"Band of Gold" is a popular song written by Holland–Dozier–Holland under the pseudonym Edythe Wayne, and Ron Dunbar, and first recorded by Freda Payne...
" was #1, while Chairmen of the Board's "Give Me Just a Little More Time
Give Me Just a Little More Time
"Give Me Just a Little More Time" is the debut single for Chairmen of the Board, released in 1970 through Capitol Records on Holland–Dozier–Holland's Invictus Records label....
" was at #2 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
On leaving Motown, H-D-H were subject to a legal challenge by Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
and, as a result, they were temporarily unable to issue new compositions on their labels. Consequently the names Holland-Dozier-Holland were not used until 1970 (releases were initially credited to (Ronald) Dunbar and (Edythe) Wayne).
The Invictus label was light blue with black printing. A statue of a seated man (Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker
The Thinker
The Thinker is a bronze and marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin, whose first cast, of 1902, is now in the Musée Rodin in Paris; there are some twenty other original castings as well as various other versions, studies, and posthumous castings. It depicts a man in sober meditation battling with a...
") almost covers the entire label, with "INVICTUS" in dark blue at the top and to the left of the center hole. There are a group of black and white rays coming from the eye of the statue and extending downward to the right.
In 1973, when Hot Wax folded due to cash flow
Cash flow
Cash flow is the movement of money into or out of a business, project, or financial product. It is usually measured during a specified, finite period of time. Measurement of cash flow can be used for calculating other parameters that give information on a company's value and situation.Cash flow...
problems, Dozier left to forge a solo career & the Holland brothers moved their remaining artists to Invictus label. Invictus continued to operate on a reduced level until 1977, when it too folded & was remodeled to HDH Records.
Dozier and the Holland brothers still own the catalogue which is managed by HDH Records.
Singles Discography
All singles from 9071 to 9133 were distributed by Capitol Records- 9071 - Crumbs Off the Table/ Bad Bill of Goods - Glass House (1969)
- 9072 - The Music Box/ A Gift Of Me - New Box (1969)
- 9073 - The Unhooked Generation/ The Easiest Way To Fall - Freda Payne (1969)
- 9074 - Give Me Just a Little More Time/ Since the Days Of Pigtails (and Fairytales) - Chairmen of the Board (1969)
- 9075 - Band Of Gold/ The Easiest Way To Fall - Freda Payne (1969)
- 9076 - I Can't Be You (You Can't Be Me)/ He's In My Life - Glass House (1970)
- 9077 - Little Old Country Boy/ I Call My Baby Pussycat - A Parliament Thang (1970)
- 9078 - (You've Got Me) Dangling On a String/ I'll Come Crawling - Chairmen of the Board (1970)
- 9079 - Everything's Tuesday/ Patches - Chairmen of the Board (1970)
- 9080 - Deeper and Deeper/ The Unhooked Generation - Freda Payne (1970)
- 9081 - Pay to the Piper/ Bless You - Chairmen of the Board (1970)
- 9082 - Stealing Moments From Another Woman's Life/ If It Ain't Love (It Don't Matter) - Glass House (1970)
- 9083 - Trapped In Love/ When Love Was a Child - Barrino Brothers (1971)
- 9084 - I Shall Not Be Moved/ When Love Was a Child - Barrino Brothers (1971)
- 9085 - The World Don't Owe You a Thing/ Cherish What Is Dear To You (While It Is Near To You) - Freda Payne (1971)
- 9086 - Chairman of the Board/ When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me - Chairman of the Board (1971)
- 9087 - She's Not Just Another Woman/ I Can't Fool Myself - The 8th Day (1971)
- 9088 - Hare Krishna/ No Commitment - Ruth Copland (1971)
- 9089 - Hanging On (To a Memory)/ Tricked and Trapped - Chairmen of the Board (1971)
- 9090 - Touch Me Jesus/ If It Ain't Love (It Don't Matter) - Glass House (1971)
- 9091 - Red Hot Mama/ Little Ole Country Boy - Parliament (1971)
- 9092 - Bring the Boys Home/ I Shall Not Be Moved - Freda Payne (1971)
- 9093 - I'm In Love Darling/ Savannah Lady - General Johnson (1971)
- 9094 - Old Mother Nature/ What I Am - Lucifer (1971)
- 9095 - Breakdown/ Little Ole Country Boy - Parliament (1971)
- 9096 - Gimmie Shelter/ No Commitment - Ruth Copeland (1971)
- 9097 - Look What We've Done To Love/ Heaven Is There To Guide Us - Glass House (1971)
- 9098 - You've Got To Crawl (Before You Walk)/ It's Instrumental To Be Free - The 8th Day (1971)
- 9099 - Try On My Love For Size/ Working On a Building Of Love - Chairmen of the Board (1971)
- 9100 - You Brought the Joy/ Suddenly It's Yesterday - Freda Payne (1971)
- 9101 - Nothing But the Devil/ Yeah I'm the Devil - Johnn Billy West (1971)
- 9102 - Solo/ I Don't Want To Lose a Good Thing - Billie Sans (1971)
- 9103 - Men Are Getting Scarce/ Bravo Hooray - Chairmen of the Board (1971)
- 9104 - I Shall Not Be Moved/ I Had It All - Barrino Brothers (1971)
- 9105 - Bittersweet/ Elmo James - Chairmen of the Board (1971)
- 9106 - All We Need Is Understanding/ Savannah Lady - General Johnson (1971)
- 9107 - If I Could See the Light/ Instrumental - 8th Day (1971)
- 9108 - We Gotta Go/ Don't You (Think the Times a-Comin') - Lucifer (1971)
- 9109 - The Road We Didn't Take/ I'm Not Getting Any Better - Freda Payne (1971)
- 9110 - Don't Leave Me/ Instrumental - Holland & Dozier (1972)
- 9111 - Playing Games/ Let It Flow - Glass House (1972)
- 9112 - Sunday Morning People/ Up The Organization (Instrumental) - Harrison Kennedy (1972)
- 9113 - Bloodshot Eyes/ Old Mother Nature - Lucifer (1972)
- 9114 - V.I.P./ It Ain't the World (It's the People In It) - Scherrie Payne (1972)
- 9115 - I'm Worried/ Just As Long - Melvin Davis (1972)
- 9116 - Let Me Ride/ It Didn't Take Long - Danny Woods (1972)
- 9117 - Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Mo/ Rocks In My Head - 8th Day (1972)
- 9118 - Giving Up the Ring/ Let It Flow - Glass House (1972)
- 9119 - Come Together/ Sunday Morning People - Harrison Kennedy (1972)
- 9120 - I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore/ Hey There Lonely Girl - Ty Hunter (1972)
- 9121 - Try It You'll Like It/ I Had It All - Barrino Brothers (1972)
- 9122 - Everybody's Got a Song To Sing/ Working On a Building Of Love - Chairmen of the Board (1972)
- 9123 - Come On In Out Of the Rain/ Little Ole Country Boy - Parliament (1972)
- 9124 - I Gotta Get Home (Can't Let My Baby Get Lone)/ Good Book - 8th Day (1972)
- 9125 - Why Can't We Be Lovers/ Don't Leave Me (Instrumental) - Holland & Dozier (1972)
- 9126 - Let Me Down Easy/ I Can't Find Myself - Chairmen of the Board (1972)
- 9127 - Unused
- 9128 - Through the Memory Of My Mind/ He's In My Life - Freda Payne (1972)
- 9129 - Thanks I Needed That/ I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore - Glass House (1972)
- 9130 - Livin' High Off the Goodness Of Your Love/ Instrumental - Barrino Brothers
- 9131 - Unused
- 9132 - Everybody's Tippin'/ Roller Coaster - Danny Woods
- 9133 - Don't Leave Me Starving For Your Love (Part 1)/ (Part 2) - Holland & Dozier (1972)
All singles from 1251 to 1283 were distributed by Columbia/CBS Records
- 1251 - Finders Keepers/ Instrumental - Chairmen of the Board (1973)
- 1252 - Only Time Will Tell/ Instrumental - General Johnson (1973)
- 1253 - Slipping Away/ Can't Get Enough (Instrumental) - Holland & Dozier (1973)
- 1254 - New Breed Kinda Woman/ If You Don't Want To Be In My Life - Holland & Dozier (1973)
- 1255 - Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right/ We've Gotta Find a Way Back To Love - Freda Payne (1973)
- 1256 - Born On the Wild/ Instrumental - Barrino Brothers (1973)
- 1257 - For No Reason/ Mother Misery's Favourite Child - Freda Payne (1973)
- 1258 - You Took Me From a World Outside/ I'm Gonna Hijack Ya, Kidnap Ya, Take What I Want - Holland & Dozier (1973)
- 1259 - You Made Me Over/ I'm Worried - Melvin Davis (1973)
- 1260 - Sittin' On a Time Bomb (Waiting For the Hurt To Come)/ Get Your House In Order (Instrumental) - Lee Charles (1974)
- 1261 - Unused
- 1262 - Unused
- 1263 - Life and Death/ Live With Me Love With Me - Chairmen of the Board (1974)
- 1264 - I Need It Just As Bad As You - If I'm Good Enough To Love (I'm Good Enough To Marry) - Laura Lee (1974)
- 1265 - I'm So Glad (Part 1)/ (Part 2) - Brian Holland (1974)
- 1266 - Unused
- 1267 - Bump Your Lady (Part 1)/ (Part 2) - Natural High (1974)
- 1268 - Everybody Party All Night/ Morning Glory (Instrumental) - Chairmen of the Board (1974)
- 1269 - Can't Get Enough Of You/ You Took Me from a World Outside - Tyrone Edwards
- 1270 - Unused
- 1271 - Let's Have Some Fun/ Love At First Sight - Chairmen of the Board (1974)
- 1272 - Let's Get Together/ Superwoman (You Ain't No Ordinary Woman) - Brian Holland (1974)
- 1273 - Don't Leave Me Starving For Your Love/ (If You Want To Try Love Again) Remember Me - Laura Lee (1974)
- 1274 - That's Love/ Instrumental - Hi-Lites (1974)
- 1275 - Wanting You/ Instrumental - Earl English (1974)
- 1276 - Skin I'm In/ Love At First Sight - Chairmen of the Board (1974)
- 1277 - Touch Me/ Stay With Me - Eloise Laws (1974)
- 1278 - You've Got Extra Added Power In Your Love/ Someone Just Like You - Chairmen of the Board (1976)
- 1279 - I Got It/ Part 2 - New York Port Authority (1976)
- 1280 - Love Goes Deeper Than That/ Put a Little Love Into It - Eloise Laws (1977)
- 1281 - I Use To Hate It (Till I Ate It)/ I Got It - New York Port Authority (1977)
- 1282 - Put a Little Love Into It/ Camouflage - Eloise Laws (1977)
- 1283 - I Don't Want To Work Today/ Guess I'm Gonna Cry - New York Port Authority (1977)
Album Discography
- 7300 - Give Me Just a Little More Time - Chairmen of the Board [1970] (5-70, #133)
- 7301 - Band of GoldBand of Gold (album)Band of Gold was Freda Payne's third studio album and her first for Invictus Records. It was released to capitalize on the success of the title track that became an instant smash on the Pop charts in the US and the UK...
- Freda PayneFreda PayneFreda Charcilia Payne Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944. is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She was also an actress in...
[1970] (8-70, #60) - 7302 - OsmiumOsmium (album)Osmium is the debut album of American funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton. The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums. It was originally released in July 1970 on Invictus...
- ParliamentParliament (band)Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
[1970] - 7303 - Self PortraitSelf Portrait (Ruth Copeland album)Self Portrait is the 1970 debut album by English singer Ruth Copeland. The album was released by Invictus Records in 1970 and produced by Ruth Copeland, though it is widely believed that the actual producer of the album was her then husband Jeffrey Bowen working under an alias...
- Ruth CopelandRuth CopelandRuth Copeland is an English singer known for her involvement with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.- Early career :Copeland was born in Consett, County Durham, in the north-east of England. She initially pursued her music career as a blues and folk singer, however she gained her first break...
[1970] - 7304 - In Session - Chairmen of the Board [1970] (11-70, #117)
- 7305 - Inside the Glass House - The Glass HouseThe Glass House (band)The Glass House was an American R&B/soul group from Detroit, Michigan.The Glass House was an assembly of house musicians put together by Holland-Dozier-Holland for their Invictus Records label in 1969. The group was led by Tyrone Hunter and included Sherrie Payne, sister of soul singer Freda Payne...
[1971] - 7306 - The 8th Day - 8th Day8th Day8th Day was an American R&B group from Detroit, Michigan.-History:The Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team had scored hits in 1970 with the group 100 Proof . When the latter's song "Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed" became a hit, radio stations also began playing the tune "She's Not Just...
[1971] (8-71, #131) - 7307 - ContactContact (Freda Payne album)Contact was Freda Payne's fourth album and her second for Invictus Records. The majority of the material on this album contains sad themes, with the exception of "You Brought the Joy." The album begins with a dramatic 11-minute medley of "I'm Not Getting Any Better" and "Suddenly It's Yesterday,"...
- Freda Payne [1971] (6-71, #76) - 7308 - I Shall Not Be Moved - The Barrino BrothersThe Barrino BrothersThe Barrino Brothers was a soul music group formed in North Carolina, U.S. in 1973. The group released only one album on the Invictus label in 1973, entitled Livin' High Off the Goodness of Your Love. Despite production by the legendary Motown team Holland-Dozier-Holland, The Barrino Brothers never...
[1971] - 7309 - Lucifer - Lucifer [1971]
- 7311 - Black Mass - Lucifer [1972]
- 9801 - Bittersweet - Chairmen of the Board [1972] (5-72, #178)
- 9802 - I Am What I Am - Ruth Copeland [1972]
- 9803 - Generally Speaking - General Johnson [1972]
- 9804 - Best of Freda Payne - Freda Payne [1972] (4-72, #152)
- 9806 - Hypnotic Music - Harrison Kennedy [1972]
- 9807 - Invictus' Greatest Hits - Various Artists [1972]
- 9808 - Aries - Danny Wood [1972]
- 9809 - I Gotta Get Home - 8th Day [1972]
- 9810 - Thanks, I Needed That - Glass House [1972]
- 9811 - Livin' High Off the Goodness of Your Love - Barrino Brothers [1972]
- KZ-32493 - Reaching Out - Freda Payne [1973]
- KZ-32526 - The Skin I'm In - Chairmen Of The Board [1973]
- KZ-33133 - I Can't Make It Alone - Laura LeeLaura LeeLaura Lee is an American soul and gospel singer and songwriter, most successful in the 1960s and 1970s and influential for her records which discussed and celebrated women’s experience.-Career:...
[1973] - PZ-33134 - Love and Beauty - Lamont Dozier [1975]
- PZ-34379 - Ain't It Good Feeling Good - Eloise LawsEloise LawsEloise Laws is a singer and a member of the prominent Laws family of musicians from Houston, Texas.-Biography:Lavern Eloise Laws was born November 6, 1943 in Houston, Texas as the fourth of eight children of Miola Luverta Donahue and Hubert Laws, Sr...
[1978] - PZ-34380 - Three Thousand Miles From Home - NYPA [1978]